Suspect's wife testifies for defense in Ocean Isle Beach rape trial

Monday

Jun 30, 2008 at 8:30 PM

By Shelby Sebens, Staff Writer

Bolivia | Larry Raynor's family and co-workers sat in Brunswick County Superior Court on Monday. Some came to testify, others just to listen.Raynor, 49, of Supply, is on trial, accused of kidnapping and raping two teenage girls who were vacationing at Ocean Isle Beach in 2001.Raynor's wife, Kathy Raynor, was the first to take the stand for the defense Monday, as the trial entered its second week.Kathy Raynor testified that she and her husband were separated at the time the attack occurred on June 17, 2001, but she rode with him in his black pickup truck to Fayetteville that day to celebrate Father's Day and his mother's birthday with his family.But her testimony fell short of providing an alibi. She said they left Fayetteville around 6 p.m. and parted ways that evening after returning to Supply. The victims have testified the incident occurred in Ocean Isle Beach around sunset.Kathy Raynor said her husband was not invited to celebrate Father's Day with her family that evening."We were working on trying to get things back together," she said, noting that the two started living together again June 23, 2001. He had been living in Ash during their separation.She also testified that she sold her husband's 17 guns five days after detectives showed up with a search warrant on Feb. 9, 2006."I needed some money," she said. "I didn't have any money."Larry Raynor's heating and air-conditioning business assets were frozen when he was arrested.He was charged at that time with three sex offenses against a 13-year-old girl dating back to summer 2005. That case is not being brought up during this trial because of a federal law that prohibits evidence of other crimes in a trial.He was later charged with the Ocean Isle rape and kidnapping after DNA from one of the victims was linked to him.The defense also sought Monday to point out discrepancies between the victims' description of their attacker and Larry Raynor. The victims said they believed their attacker to be about 5 feet 5 inches tall and did not remember him having a mustache or glasses. One victim also thought he was wearing a Myrtle Beach T-shirt at the time of the attack.The girls were 15 and 16 when a man approached them with a gun while they were taking a walk. They testified they were forced into a black Mazda truck and handcuffed. Pillowcases were put over their heads, and their eyes were duct-taped at the house where they were raped.Raynor's wife, sister, uncle and an employee all testified that he always wore glasses and collared shirts, had a mustache and is almost 6 feet tall.His uncle, Michael Combs, also testified that Raynor brought his black Mazda pickup truck to Fayetteville to be painted white in May 2001. But Assistant District Attorney Lee Bollinger pointed out in his cross-examination that that contradicted Kathy Raynor's testimony about riding with Raynor in his black truck the day of the attack.Bollinger also produced rebuttal evidence including Raynor's driver's license, which shows him wearing a T-shirt and no glasses.The trial will continue at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.Shelby Sebens: 755-7963Shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.